At the height of social media, we can't help but wonder how far some people will go to go viral.
Some relationships are bound to have been ruined by pranks, for sure, agreed the "Am I the A**hole?" (AITA) subReddit.
Redditor throooowaaaayt was appalled when her niece dumped paint on her and didn't even seem to be sorry for it.
But when she discovered it was for an online prank, the Original Poster (OP) was seeing red.
She asked the sub:
"AITA for taking my niece to court over a coat?"
The OP received a very expensive gift from her mother-in-law.
"I (28 Female) have a niece (16 Female). She is my only sister's only child."
"Two years ago, I married a very wealthy man (34 Male), and because of the pandemic, last Christmas was my first with my in-laws."
"My Mother-in-Law (MIL) gifted me a coat that is worth more than $20k. I saw her wearing it, asked her where she bought it, and she said that it will be my Christmas gift from her (to clarify, my coat was bought brand new and was identical to my MIL's)."
"I didn't know how much it was (I knew it was expensive, but I thought maybe $3k at most)."
"I was visiting my sister last January when my niece saw it. She googled the brand and showed me how much it really was."
"I won't lie, I didn't wear it after that because I was afraid of ruining it."
When the OP finally decided to wear it again, it backfired.
"Last week, I wore it while visiting my sister."
"While I was putting it back on to leave, I felt something go splat on my back."
"Then my niece started cackling and the smell of paint hit me."
"I was so p**sed off while she was not apologetic at all."
"Her mom screamed at her and said she was grounded. Then she said she will pay for the dry cleaning."
Then the OP discovered the truth behind the paint spill.
"While I was in my car, still in shock, by the way, I got an alert that my niece posted a reel."
"It was of her doing a prank on me, in which she said, 'I'm going to hit my aunt's $20k coat with a paint-filled balloon to see how she reacts.'"
"I saved it on my phone, sent it to her mom, and told her that a week's grounding is not enough."
"She did not reply, but I saw that my niece took it down (it got less than 5 views by then)."
"The next day I found out my coat can not be saved, so I called my sister and told her that her daughter has to pay it back."
"Well, we got into an argument and she said that they will not be paying it, and if I wanted a new one, I should get my husband to buy it for me."
"I think that they should pay for it (they can afford to on their own, but in my opinion, they should sell my niece's car and pay me back my money from that)."
The OP knew she had to take the next step.
"We did not reach an agreement, so I told her that I will be suing, and reminded her that I have video evidence that her daughter A) did it on purpose for online clout and B) knew exactly how expensive it was."
"People in my life are not objective at all."
"I have some calling me an AH, some saying they are the AHs for not buying me a new one, and some so obsessed with the price of the coat that they are calling me an AH for simply owning it and wanting a new one."
"So AITA?"
Fellow Redditors weighed in:
- NTA: Not the A**hole
- YTA: You're the A**hole
- ESH: Everybody Sucks Here
- NAH: No A**holes Here
Some wanted to see the OP's niece receive consequences for her prank.
"More immature or not, six-year-olds are rarely this mean and destructive. This girl knew the value of the coat was extreme and deliberately set out to destroy it, record it, put it on social media, and gain attention from it."
"That is a crime. And it isn't going to be a misdemeanor with a 20k value."
"When you call the lawyer, ask him to help you go to the police station and press charges on the attention-seeking niece. Ask the lawyer to make sure to notify you when your niece will be arrested. Go film it and put it on social media."
"Maybe then she, and her parents, will learn that if you deliberately destroy someone's property, you replace it." - New_Improvement9644
"Reading the title, I didn't think I'd be saying this, but NTA. It's an insane amount of money for a coat. It's money that a 16-year-old wouldn't have. Except, you know, using her college fund, which as 20k of debt is quite manageable."
"She did it expressly to hurt her aunt and has no remorse. This is just the consequences of her actions." - gogogadgetrage
"She's a teen. She can work and pay it back in installments. How can a 16-year-old not have any respect for other persons' belongings? Expensive belongings at that!" - AngeladeFrost
"They can afford it by selling the niece's car. That's the punishment she deserves. She caused it, so she pays. If she doesn't like it, that's ok. She can sell the car herself to pay for damages the court will award."
"Lesson well learned." - BurdenedMind79
"Sell her car, sell her cell phone, sell her personal computer. She can rent a Chromebook from her school or the library to do homework. What a gigantic brat." - Due_Honey_8256
Others also took issue with the sister's outlook on what had happened.
"OP's sister is also saying that OP's husband can simply buy her another one, yet the coat didn't even come from him. It was a gift from his mother."
"NTA OP, if your sister won't give her daughter proper punishment, you may need to force it." - crocodilezebramilk
"She and her family need to learn the value of money. Since the parents don't feel they should have to repay it, they are equally at fault."
"They literally let their daughter's need for online attention write a check her a** couldn't cash. An expensive lesson for everyone involved." - Lilitu9Tails
"NTA. This is a really good way for your niece to learn that actions have consequences and hopefully will serve her well in the future when she's older."
"And your sister seems to need that lesson too, sounds like. 'Just have your husband buy you a new one' is NOT an appropriate reaction to your kid destroying a $20K item." - voiceless_lemon
"It's not about the price of the item; it's about destroying someone else property and not being sorry. It doesn't matter if it's $20 OR $20,000."
"What she did was wrong and she and her mother need to do the right thing and replace the coat. And the niece needs to learn to respect other people's belongings, no matter the cost." - clarkjan64
"NTA. This is criminal damage. She knew the value of the coat, and she used paint which normally can't be removed. Sometimes, people have to face the consequences of their actions."
"It's not about the coat, it's about personal responsibility, and 16 is way old enough to know better. She did this out of jealousy, and I'm guessing your sister had something to do with that."
"This girl owes you for the coat she ruined, and she should pay for it." - alien_overlord_1001
After receiving feedback, the OP shared an update in another post.
"Here is a quick update, since the situation has been resolved."
"When my husband got home, I told him what happened and showed him the video."
"He asked if I spoke with my Brother-in-Law (BIL), and I said no, all my conversations were with my sister. He said that he will take care of it."
"Now, a disclaimer: I understand nothing when it comes to insurance claims, and this is what my husband told me/I understood happened."
"My husband talked with my BIL, told him exactly what happened, and showed him the prank video. Then he told him that the coat was insured, we will be filing a claim and submitting the video, and we might have to file charges for the claim (he assured him that we would be dropping the charges, and we do not want to send niece to jail)."
"Then he told him that one of two things might happen: after our insurance pays us, they will come after them. If their insurance pays, their premium will skyrocket. If it doesn't, they might sue them, and might get a line on their house."
"My BIL asked if there was a way he could pay us without involving insurance."
"My husband told him that that was what we wanted at first, but that my sister insisted that they will not be paying us back."
"Apparently, my BIL was not in the know, and he was very p**sed off at what my niece did, and my sister's response."
"So they came to this solution: my niece's car will be sold, and if it doesn't fetch the whole compensation money, she will have to get a job and pay me the whole check until it is paid off. Also, she is grounded for the rest of the school year."
"I am thankful for the people who encouraged me to talk with my husband."
While not everyone would be open to spending so much money on a coat, everyone could agree that intentionally damaging someone's property, especially for the purpose of a prank, was not okay.
The OP's niece was already old enough to understand that her actions were not appropriate, but hopefully with her upcoming consequences, she would learn the actual gravity of the situation she'd placed her aunt in.
Expectant Dad Of Two Livid After Brother Questions Why He'd Bring Another Kid Into Bleak World
It's no secret that a lot of people are struggling right now, from the cost of living to job insecurity to food insecurity to poor housing. But that doesn't mean we have to stop living.
For many people, that means still starting and growing their families, while planning how to navigate the world we're currently in, pointed out the members of the "Am I Overreacting?" (AIO) subReddit.
Redditor DesignerOwn1141 and his wife knew that the world around them wasn't at its best right now, but they were eager to grow their family and were excited to bring a third child into the world.
When they announced their pregnancy, his brother's first reaction was to send him articles about how the world was doomed and shame him for bringing a child into it; the Original Poster (OP) wondered if he needed to block his own brother.
He asked the sub:
The OP and his wife were excited to welcome a third child into their family.
"I am 33 and male. My wife is 29."
"We have two sons, a six-year-old boy and a three-year-old boy. Both are happy, healthy, and well taken care of."
"We love being parents to them, and I work very hard to provide a good life for my family."
"My wife is four months pregnant with our third."
The OP's brother's life was very different from his.
"My younger brother has been something of a failure-to-launch case."
"Despite having every advantage, he never got good grades in school, was addicted to 'League of Legends' so severely that he barely scraped by, and spends his days streaming games to nearly no viewers on Twitch."
"I've watched his stream a few times, but he just rages constantly."
"My wife is too classy to ever say so, but I can tell he makes her uncomfortable."
"He's my brother, so I've long wanted to believe he's just bad at communicating with people, but to be frank, he's sort of just an a**hole. He's unapologetic whenever he says something hurtful and more likely to just double down and say, 'No cap.'"
"But if anyone so much as challenges his views, he throws a huge fit."
The OP tried to share his happy news with his brother, but his brother immediately squandered it.
"Recently, we announced she was pregnant with our third child. It's a joyous occasion for us because we wanted three children, and our other two sons are excited about having another brother or sister."
"When I texted my brother the news, he immediately said he couldn't imagine having children with the world the way it was."
"I asked what he meant, and he started sending me these articles about global warming, the plague in Russia, wars around the world, and so on."
"He seems convinced that the world is going to end in ten years tops, and that I'm only bringing up another child to die in the 'water wars.'"
"I was honestly disgusted with him. To tell someone that their unborn child is going to die, that their other children are going to die, is absolutely abhorrent behavior."
"But since he's always been a sensitive s**thead, I just said, 'Whatever, man,' and stopped reading his texts."
"He wouldn't stop. He kept sending me every doomer article. He said that when the clouds evaporate, the earth is going to get 15 degrees hotter. He said that AI is going to hack every government database. He said that China is going to invade Taiwan, and then it'll be war with the US and allies against Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran."
The OP had had enough of his brother's negative feedback.
"Finally, I just told him I was blocking him and thought little of the decision."
"He went and cried to our parents (again, he's the most sensitive s**tbag in the world), and they told me what I did was over the top."
"I know that if I unblock him, he's just going to doomspam me again."
"Am I wrong for just straight-up saying I never want him in my life again?"
Fellow Redditors weighed in:
Some reassured the OP that they understood why he felt the need to distance himself from his brother.
"NOR. He sounds insufferable."
"He sounds like one of those people who doesn't like his life and so wants everyone else to be miserable too, or makes excuses for why he didn't do more with his life by blaming his problems on some external crisis." - savingrain
"NOR. He's allowed to protect his peace, especially if his brother keeps ignoring boundaries and turning every conversation into another end-of-the-world prediction, and having kids is hardly a reason to apologize for trying to build a good life despite everything going on." - Upper-Cloud9097
"NOR. But your brother is on his way to a full mental breakdown. Send him back cute dog and cat videos. Cute horse videos. Ozzy animal voiceovers."
"Eventually his phone will start thinking he's like me and his feed will calm down." - Present_Original_797
"I mean, my beliefs and thoughts about the future are along the same lines as him, and that’s why I’m an anti-natalist, but there’s something called tact. And personal choice/autonomy."
"If someone chooses to have kids, that’s their choice, and I’d keep my opinions to myself and be supportive, especially if they’re a family member. Spreading doomer content is extremely insensitive and rude. NOR." - EngineerGold4242
"NOR: I wonder whether your brother is displaying sibling jealousy towards you and your family; he recognizes his own shortcomings and can see where he is in life compared to you, and that is his major issue."
"Days filled with unfulfilling computer games and doomspamming others, he has a lot of maturing to do. Block him until or unless he decides to join the adult world and be the uncle he is supposed to be." - iron_redditman
"NOR. I have all those fears and as such actively avoid news about them. I skipped whole paragraphs here for that reason too, lol."
"I’d definitely block my sibling or anybody else who did that to me. I already know all these things; I don’t need constant reminders. All I can do is work on improving my little corner of the world and trudge forward."
"Anyway, protect your peace." - hahagato
"You are not obligated to bond with someone just because you share blood. It’s your peace and your family that you need to protect now. If you decide to go zero contact, it’s perfectly okay!"
"Especially because you and your wife are in charge of two, almost three, little guys, and your mental peace affect directly to them."
"PS. Historically, the world has always been on the edge, but nothing stops us to be what we are, humans trying to get over all the s**t! So don’t let those bad things put you down. We can build a better world by raising kind, lovely people, and it seems you and your wife are doing it. Good luck!" - Camigatoespinace92
Others advised the OP to involve his parents in case they could help his brother.
"Unblock him and then send everything he texts you to both mom and dad. No comments, just forward it."
"They'll think you're sending it, and when they complain, you can tell them that you thought they'd be interested in your brother's articles as well."
"NOR." - No_Address687
"NOR. Your parents don't know the half of it. Forward everything and let them read it for themselves." - Available_Agent3305
"NOR. I’d keep him blocked; your parents are wrong. If you want to be petty, start sending your parents article after article of stuff you know they won’t like. They will get the hint soon enough." - OldieButNotMoldy
"I would also go low contact with the OP's parents. OP is clearly NOT the favorite son. Any boundaries he put up with his brother will be considered wrong. NOR." - Interesting_Novel997
"NOR, but also my first reaction is that your brother isn't a 'sensitive s**tbag,' he is struggling with anxiety/depression and maybe undiagnosed neurodivergence and is drowning in his own ruminations. None of that makes this an appropriate response to a pregnancy announcement; it's clearly not. But he sounds like someone who is clearly struggling here."
"If it were me, I'd be sending your parents anything he previously sent you. If they share your concern after reading a few articles, maybe they'll take steps to help him." - 2kidsnomoney---
"NOR. I'm sorry to say this, OP, but your brother has not been socialized normally. He is a chronically online loser who thinks he can do and say whatever he wants and does not understand there are no consequences because there are often no consequences when he does it in a league match or online."
"It frankly sounds like your concern for him and his future is budding into resentment and contempt, and I feel like, as most brothers would, those are not the feelings you want to hold towards him."
"I have a brother like this. He was diagnosed as an adult with Asperger’s and now just a spectrum autism diagnosis, but he’s a real a**."
"You may have to unblock him to communicate fairly. It may be worth doing this in person because it’s easier for the chronically online to 'craft' their retort rather than be a part of a conversation."
"Before you can do that, though, you need to sit down with your parents. You need to explain and be able to articulate that:"
"1. His reaction to the wonderful news of you having another child crossed the line and was inappropriate."
"2. There need to be reasonable consequences or boundaries because you are no longer willing to put up with that."
"3. It is his call at this point whether or not he wants to be in your life and your children’s lives."
"You have to have their buy-in; otherwise they are just going to continue to coddle and enable this behavior."
"Then you need to sit down with him and your parents, intervention style. You need to present the same argument you did to your parents, and in all honestly, I would question him in return: what was he hoping would have been the outcome of that conversation?"
"Did he want you to say he’s so right, so smart? Did he want you to go to your wife and tell her to abort? Does he feel like he is in a place in his life where he can be your family planner and manager? When he crosses a line, what does he feel should happen?"
"Only when he is directly confronted, and you have the right supports in place, can he be presented with how his behavior affected you and what that could possibly mean for his relationship with you and your growing family." - allison_mossie
The subreddit understood feeling burdened by so much negative information during what should be a happy time of planning and anticipating a new addition to the family, but the OP needed time to think about what he wanted his larger family dynamic to look like.
That might mean removing his brother, so that the OP could protect his own, and by extension, his wife's and children's, mental health, but it might mean minimizing contact with other people, too, if they weren't willing to respect the OP's boundaries he had for his family's life.